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Old-School Sour Cream Banana Bread

If judged by the number of times I have made this (hundreds!), and the number of requests for a printed recipe (hundreds!), this would be my best recipe. Why is it so popular? It makes a great, clean-tasting banana bread. It is full of banana goodness, without being trendy or gimmicky. You could make it once a week and not tire of it. It’s not overly sweet, has no butter (uses a bit of oil instead), and also gets moisture and a great crumb from sour cream. I always toss in a bit of ground flax for extra nutrition; no one ever knows.

I’ve made fancier banana breads, certainly some with more ingredients, more spices, more of everything. But I keep coming back to this simple version that lets the beauty of a ripe banana shine straight through. You are going to look at this recipe and say, “Where’s the cinnamon? Where are the chocolate chips? Where are the walnuts?” Never mind all that. Just try it this way and see if you don’t agree.

My family loves this bread for breakfast (spread with cream cheese), for after school snack, and even for the team soccer snack when it is my turn to provide.

My 8-year-old neighbor Cameron shows up to play with my son, but really, truly, sometimes he comes by just to see what’s in the oven. If it is this banana bread, his toothy grin breaks out from ear to ear. Most often, on his way out the door, he scores a piece or four for his family (which I happen to know he eats by himself on the way home). Cameron, I’m calling you out and giving you the stink-eye — you have no secrets from me!

Instructions

In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. Add eggs, banana, sour cream, vanilla and salt and blend well. Stir in flax (if using), and baking soda. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. Add flour and stir gently, just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overstir or bread will be tough. Pour into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar if you like.

Bake 60 minutes (38 minutes for mini loaves), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling bread on a rack if you can; this keeps it from getting soggy from condensation. If using foil mini loaf pans, you may cool the bread in the pans.

When completely cool, store at room temperature in a covered container or zipper-top plastic bag.

Makes 1 large loaf (12 slices), or 3 mini loaves.

*Banana hint

Speaking of ripe bananas, you will have your best banana bread if you use dead black bananas. They should be entirely black, and maybe with a couple of little fruit flies lazily circling them. (I am not kidding about the flies.) I have a little tutorial on perfect bananas here. When bananas are super duper ripe, you can slit the top and just squirt them out of their skin like toothpaste, into a 1-cup measuring cup. (How’s THAT for an image?) If they are slightly less ripe, peel bananas and put them in a wide, flat bowl. Mash with a potato masher, and scrape the banana mash into the measuring cup to make sure it measures 1 cup. Bananas differ greatly in size, so it is worth measuring the mash to make sure you get the amount right.

About the sugar on top

If you are going to eat this within a day, you may garnish the top before baking with coarse grained sugar crystals. If it is going to sit around for more time than that, the sugar will attract moisture and the top will get gummy, so forget the sugar on top if the bread will linger

Donna,
Hmmmm…you mean you mixed the batter and poured it into the baking pan and then you have to leave it until 12 or more hours before baking. I’m sorry to say, I can’t recommend that strategy. Quick breads such as this need to be baked right after being mixed, for best rise. Also, if you put the pan with batter in the refrigerator overnight, when you bring it back out in the morning to bake it, you may have to add additional time to compensate for the cold batter. Please let me know how it worked for you. I am interested to see what happened!

I stored 3 black bananas in the frig in a plastic ziplock bag and wifey came along and threw them out >:/ grrrrr. I guess I should have told her. My bad. So here I am all the ingredients laid out, preheated oven and no naners. No worries I have a fruit stand near by. I didn’t see any over ripe naners so I bought two that had spots. Asked the guy and he went in the back and came back with a bag full of “dead black” bananas for Free…Did I mention FREE? I was thinking OMG what a score! So guess what I’ve been doing all morning? I tweaked your recipe a tad bit. I added cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans. I have never tried sourcream in any of my banana recipes. I have to say it came out Very Good! Thank you for sharing. This recipe is a keeper. I will be baking more banana nut bread mini pans and gift them to friends, neighbors and family. I have a bag full of “dead black” naners. Once again Thank you for sharing. Angel from The Bay aka bakingAngel

Baking Angel,
AWESOME score! I used to be lucky that way at the farmers market with beet greens. They would have a box of them under the table because people didn’t want them, they only wanted the beet root. So I got the greens for free! Anyway, I know you added cinnamon and nutmeg and pecans (all of which I LOVE), but….but….but….I want want you, just once, to make this the simple way without those things. I used to throw all kinds of things in my banana bread. Now I don’t because I realized they were just covering up the pure banana flavor. Pretty please, just do it once my way, and then come and tell me what you think. <3 to YOU!

Dorothy, honestly, this is the one and only baking I have tried and succeeded with. your recipe rocks, comes out perfect with any kind of variation. now am all ready to try more baking. my toddler girl and husband and most of my friends have loved it.
I tried it will equal portions of wheat flour and all purpose flour with yogurt to make it more healthier. your idea of flaxseed absolutely neat. thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe.

Dorothy, I love this banana bread. Honestly it’s perfect. The first time, I made it as directed- no changes. The only thing is that I used gluten free flour. The second and third times, I added walnuts and a pinch of cardamom. The third and fourth times, I added a layer of caramelized bananas and one of those times I used Greek Yogurt. Every time, it’s turned out perfect.
I’ve tried it with both Gluten Free Girl’s Whole Grain Flour Blend and America’s Test Kitchen’s gluten free flour blend. Both are xanthan gum free. I should think that any good flour blend would work, but it should be gum free. It’s just not needed.
Great recipe, thanks!

Sabrina,
Thank you for your excellent and detailed comment! All the GF bakers will no doubt like your suggestions. I have used yogurt as well and it worked fine! Glad to know your tweaks. You really cannot go wrong with this bread.

Yolanda,
Oh my gosh, I would expire if I lost this recipe. I am so glad it is your favorite, too. I have made so many banana breads over the years, and I just keep coming back to this simple, pure recipe.

Great Recipe!!! My boyfriend loved it and I am getting ready to make 2 more for him. It is a great quick breakfast before work. That is the time when most are rushing around and don’t have time for breakfast. Just slice a piece and go. Thank you for this recipe. Best one I have tried and now I am hooked. Thanks again

Wow, I’ve had this recipe (a smidge different in amount of sugar and sour cream) for a long time and the only banana bread recipe I make. Others are too dry and I’m sure the sour cream makes the difference. Have you tried tweaking it with apple sauce substitution to cut down on sweetness or oil since my Korean friends love the banana bread but want to make it healthier somehow. I am not great at tweaking recipes! Thanks for posting!

Julienne, yes, isn’t this just the BEST? I used to make it with 1/2 cup sour cream, but decided that was slightly too wet, so 1/3 cup became the new standard. I also cut down the sugar to the current amount. I have made it with less sugar, but it just wasn’t nearly as good, so I decided this was the keeper amount. I have not yet tried to sub applesauce, partly because the few times I have employed that trick in other baked goods, I haven’t been all that happy with the result (sort of gummy). It is worth a try, though! I have some dead black bananas on the counter, so maybe I’ll give it a whirl in the next couple of days! Thanks for your questions!

It’s so funny, I’ve been thinking about banana bread all week!! Problem is having enough bananas left that can ripen to the “dead black” stage – having two teenagers who are smoothie addicts does serious damage to the banana inventory!!
Loved reading your recipe and I am like you – I like my banana bread without a lot of the bells and whistles. My mom made banana bread almost every week and this recipe is very similar to hers but it didn’t have sour cream – so I am definitely going to have to make this one!!!

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Hi from Dorothy Reinhold

Welcome to my kitchen, where the oven is always on, and the fridge is packed with delectables!

At ShockD, you’ll find scrumptious, tried & true, scary good recipes, tips and coaching to make YOU a fabulous home cook! Don't blame me if you need a 12-step program to wean yourself away!

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